MEET THE BOARD
FELIPE VAZQUEZ | PRESIDENT
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Felipe is a project manager in the Surface Water team at Michael Baker International. He received his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Irvine. He started his ASCE involvement by serving as president and treasurer of the ASCE West Tennessee Branch Younger Member Board. He was previously a member of the ASCE Committee on Younger Group. His hobbies include weight training, traveling, live music and spending time with friends, family, and his dog, Benito.
KAITLIN HANNON | PAST-PRESIDENT
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Kaitlin Hannon is a Civil Engineer with the County of Los Angeles Public Works currently focusing on Equity in Infrastructure. Prior to her time on the Equity Team, Kaitlin worked in the water/environmental sector for over 10 years, starting with Kenneth/Jenks Consultants in 2010 and moved to Los Angeles County in 2013, with a brief period at URS in between. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineer from Syracuse University and her Masters in Public Administration from California State University at Northridge. She has held many positions with ASCE LA YMF and enjoys now serving on the MLAB Board. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, cooking, hiking, and exploring LA.
JON ONTIVEROS | PRESIDENT-ELECT​
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Jonathan Ontiveros is an Associate Engineer with the City of Pasadena, Water & Power Department. He has over 9+ years of combined experience in both public & private sectors, with specialties in Water Distribution Systems, Land Development, and Geotechnical Engineering. Jonathan earned his Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from California State University, Northridge, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Jonathan has previously served on the board for ASCE MLAB as the co-chair of Government Relations, and aims to support MLAB in his new role as President-Elect. In his free time, he enjoys traveling the country and exploring national parks with his family.
MATTHEW JACOBSON | VICE PRESIDENT
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Matthew Jacobson, E.I.T., ENV SP, A.M.ASCE is a Civil Analyst with Kimley-Horn in Los Angeles specializing in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He has worked on projects through phases of their life cycle from marketing, data collection, planning, design, and construction. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. Matthew is involved locally as the ASCE LA YMF President-Elect, ASCE LA Branch Vice President, and serves nationally on the ASCE Committee on Younger Members and ASCE Committee on Governing Documents. In his free time, Matthew enjoys running, photography, golfing, and music festivals.
BEN BAKER | TREASURER​
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Benjamin Baker, P.E., is currently a Senior Civil Project Engineer with Gannett Fleming TranSystems working as a design lead on Metro East San Fernando Valley roadway utility relocations. Previously, Benjamin was an assistant project manager with Walsh Group on Los Angeles County Metro's Crenshaw/LAX Corridor K Line rail transit project, where he worked for over eight years, part of the time as Segment C Civil Manager. In the past he has also worked as a project engineer in the civil division at KPFF Consulting Engineers, as an intern at the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering (Bridge Improvement Division), and as a utilities engineer in the Rail Transit and Crossings Branch at the California Public Utilities Commission. He has a Master's of Science in Civil Engineering and Project Management from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor's of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA. He has been involved with ASCE since 2006, including as a former officer and project manager for the UCLA student chapter, where he serves as Practitioner Advisor.
CHARLES LAYMAN | SECRETARY
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Charles Layman, PE works as a Bridge Engineer at HDR. He has structural engineering design and rehabilitation experience in a variety of bridge structures across North America working with several DOTs. He received his MS and BS degrees in Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering and Materials) at Virginia Tech. He is involved with both ASCE MLAB and ASCE LA YMF. Throughout his college career he was involved with ASCE and SEI and was active in the Steel Bridge competition. In his spare time, Charles enjoys spending time with his partner and pets, going hiking, trying new foods, and overall exploring new experiences.
HANK FUNG | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CHAIR
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Hank Fung is a senior civil engineer at Los Anglees County Public Works overseeing environmental planning for the County's transportation projects. Previous to this position, he did roadway design, project management, coordination with Caltrans and helped manage the County's $300+ million transportation budget. He started with the County in 2003 in the County's transit operations section assisting with the management of the unincorporated County shuttle system and bus stops. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 2003 and Cal Poly Pomona with a master's in public administration from Cal Poly Pomona. In his free time Hank enjoys traveling, playing craps and poker, and cheering on the Cal Bears.
ANDREW SLUSSER | HIGH SCHOOL BRIDGE CONTEST CHAIR
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Andrew Slusser is a Civil Engineering Associate with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering. He received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Cal State Northridge. He works in collaborative environments, coordinating with external partners for the design, construction, and delivery of City projects and private developments. He has experience working in plan-check at the West LA District Office, in the design of street and pedestrian improvement projects at the Street Improvement Division, and managed construction at the Hyperion Treatment Plant. Andrew is currently expediting plan reviews of utility relocations and street improvements, in support of LA Metro's mass transit project.
ROYA FALAHATI | AWARDS CO-CHAIR
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Roya Falahati is an Engineer in City of Pasadena Public Works, managing Capital Improvement. In her previous positions in public sectors, such as County of Los Angeles, she gained experiences in traffic design and transportation safety enhancements projects, as well as seeking funding by applying for Federal or State grants. Roya holds dual licenses in California, as PE and TE. Academically, she graduated from California Polytechnic-Pomona with a master’s degree in civil engineering. Her passions include volunteering in cultural organizations and STEAM to talk with K-12 students about careers in careers in STEAM. In her free time, Roya hikes in local hiking trails, plays sports, and when possible, she travels to new places as she believes visiting other cities and countires has helped her as an engineer.
KEVIN WOODS | AWARDS CO-CHAIR
Kevin Woods is a project manager in the Storm water maintenance team at Los Angeles County Public Works. He received his B.S. & M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Irvine. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys playing basketball and soccer, snowboarding, and traveling the world to ride roller coasters.
KAREN MENDEZ | CO-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR
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Karen Mendez is an Associate Civil Engineer with Los Angeles County Public Works’ Geotechnical and Materials Engineering Division where she has had the opportunity to work on complex projects that have a direct impact on communities throughout Los Angeles County. She earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from California State Northridge. Previous work experience includes flood maintenance, where she saw, firsthand, the County’s proactive approach to providing service when needed the most. In her free time Karen enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, walking her dog, and participating in sporting activities. Karen looks forward to serving on the MLAB Board.
EMELINA NOVOA | CO-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR
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Emelina Novoa, E.I.T., ENV SP is a Senior Civil Engineering Assistant at Los Angeles County Public Works working in the Operational Services Division. Under this role she works with Traffic Operations and Electrical Section (TOES) which is primarily responsible for providing traffic signal operations and maintenance, traffic signs, traffic striping, and pavement markings installations and maintenance for the unincorporated areas of the County and numerous contract cities. She also provides professional support services for the Section's and Department's Operations, including electrical and civil engineering. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount Univeristy in 2010 and is currenly attending California State Univeristy at Northridge for her Masters in Public Administration. In her free time Emelina enjoys spending time with her kids exploring Los Angeles. She enjoys hiking and running.
ALEXIS SERNA | MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Alexis Serna is an Assistant Project Manager for Parsons Corporation located in Pasadena. She earned her Master's in Business Administration with an option in Marketing from California State University, Los Angeles. As Membership Chair, she looks forward to helping drive engagement and supporting members by actively communicating and encouraging networking opportunities. Outside of her professional endeavors she enjoys hiking, being outdoors, and exploring the beautiful beaches of Southern California. She believes in maintaining a healthy work-life balance that can fuel her passion for creativity and helping others.
MINERVA RODRIGUEZ | MENTORSHIP CHAIR
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Minerva is the Los Angeles Area Manager at Parsons Minerva, born in Mexico, is a first-generation college graduate with a BS in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. Passionate about mentoring, Minerva aims to guide her mentees to avoid the mistakes she made, focusing on building relationships and communication.
DANA ROBERTSON | NEWSLETTER EDITOR
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Dana Robertson is an Associate Civil Engineer at Los Angeles County Public Works where he does structural design and performs bridge load ratings. He graduated with both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Cal Poly Pomona. He has previous work experience in stormwater planning, road maintenance, and traffic design. Dana has also recently been appointed to serve on the Traffic and Transportation Commission for the City of Buena Park. Dana enjoys playing with his young daughter, reading, exercising, and riding transit.
BELLA SALGADO | SOCIAL CHAIR
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Isabella is a Civil Engineering Associate I at the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering. She has a BS in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University and has experience in both the private and public sectors. She enjoys traveling, playing pickleball and tennis. As a foodie, one of her favorite pastimes in Los Angeles is trying different restaurants.
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C. SHAWN SUN | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH CHAIR
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Shawn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management at California State University, Northridge. He has more than 20 years of experience in research, teaching, and professional practice in structural engineering. Prior to his transition to academia, he was involved in the design, construction engineering, inspection, and rehabilitation of a wide range of structures, including buildings, bridges, tunnels, and culverts. In his spare time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his family and playing badminton and volleyball.
ANI SARKISSIAN | YMF LIAISON
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Ani is a Civil Engineering Associate at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Irvine and is a licensed Professional Engineer in California. She's been involved with ASCE since her freshman year of college. Ani currently serves as the ASCE LA YMF President, and YMF Liason for the Metropolitan LA Branch. In her spare time, Ani enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the beach, trying new food spots, and going to concerts.